Bodoe

Senior Political Reporter

While there are 587 applications from doctors for jobs, there are 1,800 vacancies for nurses, and the Government is prioritising filling the nursing vacancies, says Health Minister Dr Lackram Bodoe.

Bodoe indicated this at Thursday’s post-Cabinet media briefing at the Diplomatic Centre.

On hospital staffing, Bodoe said he had asked for an update on the number of vacancies and applications in terms of doctors and nurses.

He said that in the four regional health authorities, there were 587 applications from doctors, but 1,800 vacancies for nurses.

“So there are vacancies for nurses, but we have an excess of doctors,” he said.

Bodoe said it will be dealt with after the boards of the four Regional Health Authorities are in place. Three are in place so far, and the Eastern Regional Health Authority will be completed soon.

“Of course, we’re trying to find a way to engage some of those unemployed doctors, and we’re exploring all options. But one of my priorities is to fill the nursing vacancies. I hope to get an increased allocation in the 2026 budget, but it all depends on Government’s financial situation,” he added.

He said the fact that 587 doctors were unemployed did not mean there was no need for doctors, as health centres sometimes only have one, so there might be a role to fit these doctors into the primary health care system. Where to make the allocation was being looked at, he added.

Bodoe stated that he intended to bring to Cabinet a proposal to try to “ringfence” the Ministry’s budget for cancer drugs, ensuring that funds for the latter were spent on only that. The most effective drugs are also being ascertained.

Bodoe said the Cancer Treatment Centres at St James and at Augustus Long Hospital may not be able to treat the volume of cases.

“The plans are still there to look at the restarting of the National Oncology Centre; it’s still very much on the books. “It’s a big project, and it involves funding, but it hasn’t come off our radar,” he said.

He said the organ transplantation unit will be strengthened and better resourced, as it hadn’t worked well before.

Bodoe said the Port of Spain General Hospital’s Central Block was still under Udecott’s control.

“Work is going on. I can’t give a completion date. I intend meeting with Udecott in the very near future and perhaps do a tour of the hospital to establish its state of readiness,” he said.